Centrifugal separating apparatus



Patented Dec, 3. i946 Leopold Sender, Baltimore, Md., assignor to TheSharples Corporation, Philadelphia, Pa a cornotation of DelawareApplication June 24,1943, Serial No. 492,153

The present invention pertains to a centrifuge designed to effectcentrifugation and discharge of a viscous material, so as toeffect-satisfactory discharge of the viscous material after ejectionthereof from surfaces surrounding the centrifugal 2 Claims. (01. 233-14)rotor. It was conceived in'connection with research involving separationof soap from an aqueous phase in practice of the process of the patentsto Scott, 2,300,749 and 2,300,750, and will be described specificallywith respect to problems involved in practice of such a process. The'specific nature of the invention and the advantages attained bypractice thereof will be ,evident from consideration of the followingdetailed description in connection with the attached-drawing, -'inwhich, I

The single figure is a view partly in cross section and partly in sideelevation of the centrifugal separator of the invention. 7

Referring to the drawing by reference characters, the centrifuge of theinvention includes a rotor ill of which only the upper portion isillustrated. This rotor is designed for securement to a drive spindle(not shown) through a drive connection II at the upper end of the neckI! of the rotor. This neck is provided with a dis-' charge passage l3through which the heavier effluent flows from the rotor and isdischarged through outlet I4, and with a discharge passage l5 throughwhich the lighter eflluent flows from the rotor and is discharged at It.The heavier efliuent flows from discharge outlet I4 into a receivingcover I1 and the lighter efliuent flows from discharge outlet it intoreceiving cover [8.

The features of the centrifuge described above by that arrow. Soap whichmay fall from this upper surface .on to the lower surface 20 also has atendency to stick to that lower surface, and the present invention isconcerned with an arrangement preventing stickage to either of thesesurfaces.

In connection with many types of soap eflluents' obtained in continuoussoap manufacture by the process of Scott patents, 2,300,749and2,300,750, the problem of stickage may be solved by injection ofwater or saponifying reagent into the covers as taught in those patents,by the use of devices of the prior art for injection of a spray ofwashing liquid into the soap-receiving cover.

'Thus, for example, a spray of liquid may be injected into the covers asillustrated and described in the prior patent to Jones 1,634,243, andsuch injection is often adequate to prevent stickage. In connection withcertain very viscous soap efliuents, however, the problem of stickagehas been troublesome even in cases in which the best available means ofthe prior art were employed in injection of washing liquid into thesoap-receiving cover. The present invention is especially directedto"solution of the problemof stickage involved in treatment of soapswhich are so tacky as to present such a problem.

The problem of prevention of stickage to the surface 20 is solved in thepractice of the present invention by projecting a body of liquid fromthe annulus 2| against a portion of the surface 20 indicated by thearrows A, this liquid being projected against the surface 20 from aplurality I of points around the circumference of the anare of more orless conventional design and form no part of the present invention. Whena mixture of soap and aqueous phase is subjected to centrifugation inthe rotor III, the soap will be discharged through the passage i5 andoutlet [6,,

while the aqueous phase is discharged through the passage I 3 and outletH. No particular trouble is encountered in removal of aqueous phase fromthe cover I! in such case, since this aqueous phase (the reagentsolution) is a free been encountered in connection with discharge ofsoap from the cover l8, the soap tending to stick both to the uppersurface l9 and the'lower surface 20 of that cover. Soap discharged fromthe outlet l6 passes tangentially from that outlet and strikes the undersurface I!) of the lower cover in the general zone indicated by thearrows A, and has a tendency to stick to this upper surface adjacent thezone of impingement indicated flowing material, but considerabledimculty has nulus 2i in sufficient volume to form a layer of liquidflowing continuously outwardly along the conical surface 20 from thezone of impingement A of the washing liquid. By maintaining acontinuously flowing layer of liquid along the surface 20 from a zonewithin the innermost zone at which soap is projected or falls upon thatsurface, the soap is adequately prevented from sticking to the surface20 and is washed downwardly through the space S to a, discharge conduit.

In conjunction with the above-described arrangement for preventingstickage of soap to the surface 20, special means are provided forpreventing stickage to the upper surface l9. These last-mentioned meansinclude an annulus 2! provided. with a plurality of circumferentiallyspaced nozzles adapted to project liquid against the upper surface of aring 23 which is secured to the centrifugal rotor above the light liquiddischarge'outlet I 6. In the form of the invention H 3 a sleeve 24surrounding the neck of the rotor. Liquid projected through the nozzlesin annulus 22 against the upper surface of the ring 23 is throwntangentially outward by this ring a as the result of centrifugal forcecaused by rotation of the ring with the rotor. This causes the liquid tobe projected against the surface I! with a swirling motion and to removesoap discharged against that surface which might otherwise stickthereto. Soap loosenedin this manner which falls or is deflected againstthe surface 20 is 4 v p the scope of the invention by the person skilledin the art, and I donut therefore wish to be diluted with the liquidprojected from the ring 23, and this dilution tends to make the soapmore fluid and cause it to flow downwardly along sur- 5 face Zll, andthe provision of a continuously flowmg layer of washing liquid (e. g.,water or aqueous reagent) along this lower surface from the zone I A ofimpingement of this washing liquid from the annulus 2| precludesstickage of this soap to the surface 20. Thus, .by eifecting impingementof washing liquid against the surface Min 97 zone within the innermostzone of impact of soap against that surface, stickage to the surface i9is prevented, while by establishing a flowing layer of washing liquidfrom the zone A outwardly along the surface 20, stickage of the soap tothe surface is prevented.

'While the arrangement for establishing a flow.- ing layer of water fromthe annulus 2| along the surface 20 is particularly useful in connectionwith the arrangement for projecting liquid tangentially from the ring 23as described, either of these arrangements may be employed to advantagein the absence of the other. For example, in many cases, projection ofliquid from the ring 1 23 will serve to prevent. stickage of soap to thesurface l9, and the consequent dilution of this soap will preventstickage to the surface 20. On

the other hand, in some cases it is possible to solve the problem ofstickage by provision of the layer established by projecting liquid tothe zone A from the annulus 2|, without provision of the special meansprovided by the ring 23 for removing soap from the surface l9.

Various modifications may be limited except by the scope of thefollowing claims.

I claim:

. 1. In a centrifugal separator, the combination comprising acentrifugal rotordesigned to discharge a viscous eflluent centrifugallyagainst an upper surface of a, non-rotating receiving cover, and meansto project a washing liquid from a portion of said rotor centrifugallyin a direction having substantial circumferential and outward componentsagainst said surface of said receiving cover at a zone within theinnermost zone of dischargeof said viscous effluent against-saidsurface, whereby to effect swirling movement Of said washing liquidacross said surface against which the viscous effluent is discharged,and thereby prevent stickage of said effluent to said surface and causesaid effluent to be discharged to a lower surface of said cover, andmeans for establishing a continuously downwardly and outwardadoptedwithin 1y flowing layer of washing liquid from a zone within theinnermost zone of discharge of said eiiluent against said lower surfaceflowing across said zone of discharge against said lower surface,whereby to prevent stickage of said effluent to said lower surface.

2. In a centrifugal separator, the combination comprising a centrifugalrotor designed to discharge a viscous efliuent centrifugally against anupper surface of a non-rotating receiving cover, and a centrifugalflinger secured tosaid rotor and,

